TL;DR
Digestive disorders are common, affecting over half of American adults.
Common digestive issues include gallstones, acid reflux (GERD), and Crohn’s disease.
Risk Factors for gallstones, acid reflux, and Crohn’s disease include diet, obesity, family history, and others.
Symptoms to pay attention to include abdominal pain, chronic diarrhea, heartburn, fatigue, difficulty swallowing and more.
If you experience persistent digestive problems, seek a medical evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment from a gastroenterologist.
Digestive conditions are unfortunately very common in today’s busy and often stressful world. According to recent research, more than half of American adults suffer from some type of gastrointestinal disorder.
In this post we’ll cover some of the most common digestive problems, what their causes are, symptoms and long-term effects, and how to seek treatment.
Gallstones
Gallstones form in the gallbladder, which is a small organ that helps the body with digestion by storing bile. It is believed that gallstones are caused when too much cholesterol and/or bilirubin is present in the gallbladder, and hardens to form gallstones.
What are the risk factors for developing gallstones?
Risk factors that increase the likelihood of developing gallstones include:
- being a woman
- having a family history of gallstones
- being of Mexican or Native American decent
- being over 60 years of age
- having type 2 diabetes
- eating a diet high in fat and low in fiber, and
- having obesity.
Patients who have cirrhosis of the liver, are pregnant, or are on medications that elevate estrogen levels may also be at a greater risk.
Symptoms and complications of gallstones
While gallstones are fairly common and sometimes don’t trigger symptoms, if left untreated, they can cause patients to have:
- severe abdominal pain
- fever
- chills
- diarrhea
- itchy skin
- appetite loss
- rapid heartbeat
- shoulder or back pain and
- jaundice.
Most often, symptoms are triggered after consuming fried foods, but the pain caused by gallstones can show up at any time.
Diagnosis and treatment of gallstones
To determine if you have gallstones, your health provider may order blood tests, and/or an ultrasound, an abdominal CT scan or a radionuclide scan.
In some cases, gallstones will pass naturally and no treatment will be needed. But if they don’t, a cholecystectomy—surgery to remove the gallbladder—is often performed.
If surgery is not an option, some patients may receive oral dissolution therapy, which uses medications to chemically break up the gallstones.
Other treatments include inserting a needle into the gallbladder to aspirate bile and drain it or using a lithotripter to generate shock waves that can break up the gallstones.
Acid Reflux (GERD)
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), often referred to as “acid reflux,” occurs when stomach acid returns to the esophagus, tube that connects your mouth and stomach.
Acid reflux happens when the sphincter at the bottom of your esophagus weakens or relaxes in an abnormal way, which allows acid to flow back instead of remain in the stomach. The acid repeatedly traveling through the lining of your esophagus can irritate it and cause inflammation.
What are the risk factors for developing acid reflux/GERD ?
Risk factors that increase the likelihood of getting acid reflux include:
- obesity
- pregnancy
- connective tissue disorders
- hiatal hernias
- smoking
- drinking alcohol or coffee
- taking aspirin and
- eating large meals late at night.
Symptoms of GERD
The symptoms of acid reflux/GERD include:
- difficulty swallowing
- chest pain
- heartburn
- regurgitating food
- the feeling of a lump in your throat and
- a chronic cough.
Patients may also experience laryngitis or sleep disruptions if they suffer from nighttime acid reflux.
If left untreated, GERD can form scar tissue, which may eventually lead to difficulty swallowing. It may also cause ulcers in the esophagus, which can increase a person’s risk of esophageal cancer.
Diagnosing Acid Reflux/ GERD
To diagnose GERD, your doctor may take an X-ray of the upper digestive system or perform an upper endoscopy (a procedure where a thin, flexible tube with a light and camera is inserted down the throat to inspect the inside of the esophagus and stomach).
In addition, they may also perform an esophageal manometry test that measures the rhythmic contractions in a person’s esophagus when they swallow.
Treatments for GERD
The most common treatments for GERD include diet modifications and over-the-counter antacids. Medications such as H-2 receptor blockers or acid blockers may also be recommended.
In addition, alternative therapies such as practicing specific relaxation techniques, or the consumption of licorice or chamomile, may be recommended to complement other treatment and help relieve symptoms.
In more severe cases, fundoplication surgery (which wraps the top of the stomach around the lower esophageal sphincter) may be performed. Or a LINX device containing tiny magnetic beads wrapped around the patient’s stomach and esophagus, may be implanted.
Crohn’s Disease
Crohn’s Disease is an inflammation of the digestive tract and often spreads to the deeper layers of the bowel.
What causes Crohn’s disease?
Though the cause of Crohn’s Disease is unknown, research points to a malfunction of the immune system.
Risks factors for developing Crohn’s disease
Risk factors for developing Crohn’s disease may include:
- heredity
- smoking and
- frequent anti-inflammatory medication use.
Common symptoms of Crohn’s disease
Symptoms of Crohn’s disease include:
- diarrhea
- bloody stools
- cramping
- abdominal pain
- fever
- fatigue and
- mouth sores.
In the most severe cases, iron deficiency, inflammation of the liver and kidney stones may also occur.
Diagnosis and treatment of Crohn’s disease
The process for a doctor to diagnose Crohn’s disease may include: analyzing stool samples, taking blood tests, ordering a CT scan or MRI, or performing a colonoscopy or balloon-assisted enteroscopy procedure.
Once diagnosed, a patient’s treatment may include lifestyle changes, vitamins and supplements, anti-inflammatory medications or immune system suppressors. In some cases, biologics or antibiotics may also be recommended by the doctor.
Nutrition therapy (administered orally or intravenously) or surgery may also be an option for some patients.
If you or someone you love has Crohn’s, don’t dismiss the symptoms. Leaving Crohn’s disease untreated can lead to compromised health, including: ulcers, bowel obstructions, anal fissures, fistulas, blood clots, or malnutrition. Research indicates Crohn’s may also increase your risk of getting colon cancer.
Get Help From a Medical Professional
If you’re having digestive problems and would like help from a medical professional to diagnose and treat your issues, contact WWMG Gastroenterology to request an appointment today. We’re here to help.